Agenda item

Questions on Notice (to be circulated at the meeting)

To deal with any questions on notice from Members of the Council, in the order in which they have been received.

A period of up to 15 minutes is allocated for the asking and answering of questions. This may be extended at the discretion of the Chairman with the agreement of the majority of those present.

Minutes:

Question submitted by Councillor M. Thompson

“Please can the leader or new portfolio holder update the council on what they are doing to enact the motion the council passed on the active kitchen?”

Councillor S. Webb, Portfolio Holder for Strategic Housing and Health and Wellbeing responded on behalf of the Leader, confirming that a full report was to be presented to Cabinet in early July to enable Members to make a decision on the role of Active Kitchens. This had taken a little longer than anticipated in order to ensure the relevant data could be included within the report. In the meantime activities in Sidemoor and Charford would continue during the summer holidays and if approved, other proposed areas would commence in October 2019.

Question submitted by Councillor H. D. N. Rone-Clarke

“How many trees has Bromsgrove District Council cut down in the last 5 years?”

The Leader responded that over the last five years the Council had planted approximately 200 specimen trees (large trees) on its own land for example in Sanders Park and approximately 4,000 to 5,000 small hedgerows all over the District.

In addition, as part of the planning consent processes all new developments must include the planting of trees. Over the last five years with the amount of new developments in the District this could mean that up to 200 to 300 specimen trees and several thousand hedgerows had been planted at each new development.

Question submitted by Councillor A. D. Kriss

“Following the successful application for funding for Ultra low emission charging points, could the Cabinet Member for the Environment advise whether Rubery will be receiving any charging points and what the timescales for implementation are?”

Councillor M. Sherrey, the Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services responded that the Council had recently been successful in an Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) bid where £300k had been granted for the installation of dedicated electric taxi charger points. A condition of this funding was that it must be spent by 31.3.20.

As part of the bid, officers had identified Rubery, Wythall and Bromsgrove Town as suitable locations for these dedicated electric taxi charger points. General site locations had been identified in conjunction with a wide range of stakeholders including Taxi drivers, operators, Licensing, WRS & Economic Development. Actual locations will be firmed up once a charge point operator had been identified. These locations would be dependent upon a range of factors including accessibility, land ownership and grid constraints.

While the charging points funded under the OLEV grant would be specifically for taxis, the Council would seek to develop a public charging network to sit alongside the taxi charge points, maximising the financial efficiency of the grant funding as much of the installation costs would be shared.

A report would go to full Council on 31 July when it would be recommended that the submitted BDC Ultra low emission vehicle strategy (ULEV) and action plan be adopted and that the OLEV funding committed to assist taxi’s to transition to electric vehicles (EV’s) and that the Head of Service had delegated authority in application of and administering future funding in line with the ULEV strategy. The strategy also contained wider aspirations for a comprehensive charge point network across the district.

Officers anticipate tendering for a charge point operator at the earliest possible opportunity following approval of the recommendations in the report.